Published: Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 7:09 p.m.

FLAT ROCK — Mike Farmer sat on a couch at his home in Kenmure. Across from him was a map of the United States. A red, zigzagging line stretched across the northern part of the country.

That line is Farmer's birthday present.

Farmer turned 70 on Jan. 20 and to celebrate, he's committed to bike across America. But it's not all for fun. Farmer is using his cross-country journey to raise money for three charities he and his wife, Georgie, are passionate about — Kenmure Fights Cancer, St. Gerard's House and the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind Inc.

His trip will begin in May at Bar Harbor, Maine and wrap up in September in Anacortes, Wash. The trek is 4,285 miles.

For Farmer, biking is the perfect way to celebrate the charities and his birthday. Over the years, he's logged too many miles to count. He crossed the U.S. once before when he retired as a CFO at a telecommunications firm in 1998.

He's also biked in countries around the world including Vietnam, Burma, New Zealand, Portugal, France, Hungary and Turkey.

How many miles has he ridden?

“I haven't got the foggiest idea,” he said. “I find that traveling by bike in foreign countries is the best way to see things.”

That's the case in riding across America as well, he added.

Farmer's first trip across the country took him from the Pacific Northwest down through the middle of the country to the east coast. It's known as the “1976 route.”

On that trip, his wife drove a converted van with a bed installed inside. This time around, his wife will again make the trip, but will be riding in comfort in a 23-foot RV.

“I'm very excited,” said Georgie Farmer. “I said, ‘if I'm going to do this again, I'm going to do it in comfort.'”

As for her husband, Mike Farmer will be trying to average 60 miles per day following a road map laid out by Adventure Cycling Association. That amounts to about five hours of biking per day. The map he's following breaks down all the sites, lodging and elevation.

The journey will span 11 states.

Mike Farmer has been busy even in retirement. It's a good kind of busy, he said. Most of it is charity work, but the open road creates a break from the usual routine.

One part of the journey that excites him is the chance to run into people from all over America.

“You find out when you get into the middle of America that people are good,” he said. “Nobody cares where you're going.”

The couple is counting on that kindness on the road. They're taking brochures detailing what they're doing and who the money is being raised for with them to hand out.

While he's mentally prepared for the trip, there is also a physical element. Mike Farmer will be logging a lot of hours on a bike and will be traveling thousands of miles. So far most of his preparedness has come through work in the gym. The winter months have been hard, he said. It's been difficult to get out on the roads. He does have one advantage, though.

“Having done this before, I know what's going to happen,” Mike Farmer said. “The first two weeks will be tough.”

Once the routine kicks in and his body adjusts, however, it'll be a different story.

“It won't be about the bike anymore,” he said. “It'll be about enjoying the scenery.”

People interested in donating money to the three charities or just following Mike Farmer's journey can visit www.iBike4them.org. The Times-News will link to his website when his journey begins.

While he's hoping to raise lots of money, Mike Farmer's just excited about traveling the country.

“If I didn't raise a dollar, I'd still do this ride,” he said. “It's a moment in my life I'm going to cherish.”

<p>FLAT ROCK — Mike Farmer sat on a couch at his home in Kenmure. Across from him was a map of the United States. A red, zigzagging line stretched across the northern part of the country. </p><p>That line is Farmer's birthday present.</p><p>Farmer turned 70 on Jan. 20 and to celebrate, he's committed to bike across America. But it's not all for fun. Farmer is using his cross-country journey to raise money for three charities he and his wife, Georgie, are passionate about — Kenmure Fights Cancer, St. Gerard's House and the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind Inc.</p><p>His trip will begin in May at Bar Harbor, Maine and wrap up in September in Anacortes, Wash. The trek is 4,285 miles. </p><p>For Farmer, biking is the perfect way to celebrate the charities and his birthday. Over the years, he's logged too many miles to count. He crossed the U.S. once before when he retired as a CFO at a telecommunications firm in 1998. </p><p>He's also biked in countries around the world including Vietnam, Burma, New Zealand, Portugal, France, Hungary and Turkey.</p><p>How many miles has he ridden?</p><p>“I haven't got the foggiest idea,” he said. “I find that traveling by bike in foreign countries is the best way to see things.”</p><p>That's the case in riding across America as well, he added. </p><p>Farmer's first trip across the country took him from the Pacific Northwest down through the middle of the country to the east coast. It's known as the “1976 route.”</p><p>On that trip, his wife drove a converted van with a bed installed inside. This time around, his wife will again make the trip, but will be riding in comfort in a 23-foot RV. </p><p>“I'm very excited,” said Georgie Farmer. “I said, 'if I'm going to do this again, I'm going to do it in comfort.'” </p><p>As for her husband, Mike Farmer will be trying to average 60 miles per day following a road map laid out by Adventure Cycling Association. That amounts to about five hours of biking per day. The map he's following breaks down all the sites, lodging and elevation. </p><p>The journey will span 11 states. </p><p>Mike Farmer has been busy even in retirement. It's a good kind of busy, he said. Most of it is charity work, but the open road creates a break from the usual routine. </p><p>“You're just alone with your thoughts,” Mike Farmer said. “There's nothing but the wind blowing by your ears.”</p><p>One part of the journey that excites him is the chance to run into people from all over America.</p><p>“You find out when you get into the middle of America that people are good,” he said. “Nobody cares where you're going.” </p><p>The couple is counting on that kindness on the road. They're taking brochures detailing what they're doing and who the money is being raised for with them to hand out. </p><p>While he's mentally prepared for the trip, there is also a physical element. Mike Farmer will be logging a lot of hours on a bike and will be traveling thousands of miles. So far most of his preparedness has come through work in the gym. The winter months have been hard, he said. It's been difficult to get out on the roads. He does have one advantage, though.</p><p>“Having done this before, I know what's going to happen,” Mike Farmer said. “The first two weeks will be tough.”</p><p>Once the routine kicks in and his body adjusts, however, it'll be a different story.</p><p>“It won't be about the bike anymore,” he said. “It'll be about enjoying the scenery.”</p><p>People interested in donating money to the three charities or just following Mike Farmer's journey can visit www.iBike4them.org. The Times-News will link to his website when his journey begins.</p><p>While he's hoping to raise lots of money, Mike Farmer's just excited about traveling the country.</p><p>“If I didn't raise a dollar, I'd still do this ride,” he said. “It's a moment in my life I'm going to cherish.”</p><p>Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.</p>